Shloka 55
The Description of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya): Avimukta, Kapālamocana, and Śiva’s Purification
क्षेत्रदानेन कारुण्यं कुरु मे गरुडध्वज । मम निर्गमने ब्रह्महत्या मां पुनरेष्यति ॥ ५५ ॥
kṣetradānena kāruṇyaṃ kuru me garuḍadhvaja | mama nirgamane brahmahatyā māṃ punareṣyati || 55 ||
ഹേ ഗരുഡധ്വജ പ്രഭോ, ക്ഷേത്രദാനത്തിലൂടെ എനിക്കു കരുണ കാണിക്കണമേ; ഞാൻ ഇവിടെ നിന്ന് പുറപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യാപാപം വീണ്ടും എന്നെ പിടിക്കും।
A repentant sinner/devotee addressing Lord Vishnu (Garuḍadhvaja) within the Uttara-Bhaga narrative
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna (compassion)
Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
FAQs
It frames kṣetra-dāna (donation of sacred land) as a powerful act of compassion-backed prāyaścitta, sought through Viṣṇu’s grace to prevent grave sin (brahmahatyā) from reasserting itself.
The speaker directly appeals to Viṣṇu as Garuḍadhvaja, implying that relief from karmic bondage is not merely mechanical ritual—true purification is completed by divine mercy invoked through sincere surrender.
It reflects Dharmaśāstra-style application of ritual charity (dāna) as prāyaścitta; while not a technical Vedāṅga lesson, it aligns with kalpa-oriented practice—how prescribed acts like dāna are used for purification within Vedic ritual ethics.